How to help the travel industry innovate with confidence and speed: a conversation with ServiceNow
It’s happened to just about anyone working in a large organisation: a new customer management system comes on the market, a new accounting software, or a new IT system. It’s clear it would serve the organisation’s needs, but just the thought of transitioning existing systems onto something new is enough to turn people off. “It would just take so much time!” you find yourself thinking.
Process debt and complexity are some of the biggest downsides of adopting new technology. It takes time to integrate new systems with large and established ones, to adapt operations, and to make sure that everything still flows.
This is something that Claus-Henning Cappell, Senior Director Corporate Development at ServiceNow is intimately familiar with. Back-office processes, intelligent workflows, and efficient operations may not be the sexiest topics of discussion, but today we’re talking to Claus-Henning about how these are critical areas of focus for any enterprise interested in innovation and improving services.
So how can we make the travel industry stay fast and nimble in the 21st century? Claus-Henning has some ideas.
SIMON: Let’s start with the basics: what does ServiceNow do for the travel industry?
CLAUS-HENNING: The travel industry is inherently complex, and travel players have their own internal application landscape complexity. The problem is exacerbated because all these systems were built at different times, for different clients, and are being revamped and updated at different speeds and on different platforms. This makes innovation difficult and slow: it’s like trying to complete a group project with experts that speak different languages. ServiceNow is like a real-time interpreter and project manager. Essentially ServiceNow can connect Amadeus solutions by running the right workflows at the right time, so that the right data is handed off with impacted systems that speak different languages. With ServiceNow, any customer using any enterprise system can easily implement an Amadeus solution, no matter which system or technical language they are used to using. It doesn´t matter if they are an airport, an airline, a hotel or a travel agency, it’s just plug and play.
SIMON: What is “process debt” and why do we want to eliminate it?
CLAUS-HENNING: Process debt is like technical debt. It’s the thing no one likes to think about. It’s those outdated and cumbersome workflows that have been inherited over time. It builds on the technical redundancies that no one has time to iron out of systems. It’s the time it takes to translate outputs into new formats. It’s relying on a service integrator to be able to move to the next step. It’s taking the long road to get from A to B because “it’s just the way things are done”. Process debt will not only cost a company time and money, but it can also lead to frustrated teams, reduced morale, and it will have a real impact on time-to-market when you’re trying to roll out a new idea. Process debt is our nemesis that ultimately leads to poor user experiences – Experience debt.
ServiceNow’s platform integrates various systems to eliminate silos and ensure a cohesive workflow and agile operating environment. This streamlining of operations increases productivity and reduces costs, so companies in travel can focus on more strategic projects. With all of this “process debt” eliminated, it’s easier to adapt, experiment, and innovate with new technologies on the fly knowing that all the pieces of the puzzle will be able to fit together. It’s the foundation for creating great experiences.
SIMON: With the rapid pace of technological change in the world today, maintenance is a big challenge for travel companies. How does ServiceNow address this challenge?
CLAUS-HENNING: ServiceNow is a Cloud-native offering, so anytime an update is necessary, it can be done on the Cloud and changes are automatically made while the system remains online. This also has the benefit of enhancing reliability and security, protecting sensitive data, and ensuring continuing service availability, so our customers can free up resources for more strategic initiatives.
SIMON: How are robotics, AI and Machine Learning helping with back-end systems and improved operations?
CLAUS-HENNING: We’re using robotics and machine-learning to help travel companies automate routine tasks to reduce the workload for staff. This allows people to focus on more creative projects and value-added activities, which leads to more fulfilling and productive work. Another advantage of automation is a reduced likelihood of errors, which can lead to more accurate and reliable operations. Finally, ServiceNow is using GenAI to provide Agentic AI capabilities to agents and provide access to real-time insights so teams can make informed decisions more quickly and effectively.
CLAUS-HENNING: I now have a question for you. As a user of ServiceNow, how have you found that our technology is helping Amadeus?
SIMON: Amadeus has recently signed for the full suite of ServiceNow capabilities, ranging from the traditional IT Operation/Services Management through to NowAssist, the ServiceNow GenAI powered tool that enhances productivity. Moving forward, we would like to collaborate with ServiceNow to address our shared customers to help streamline their operations, empower their employees, and promote innovation.
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